East Fork puts out third fire in three days

East Fork firefighters respond to a fire south of Dresslerville on Monday.Kurt HIldebrand

Children playing with matches are suspected to have caused a small wildland fire south of Dresslerville on Monday.

East Fork firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 4:55 p.m. to find a quarter-acre burning in medium dense brush.

No structures were threatened, according to Battalion Chief Scott Fraser. Firefighters reported stopping forward progress of the fire at 5:14 p.m.

Three brush trucks, including one from the Nevada Division of Forestry, two water tenders, two rescue units and a patrol unit responded to the scene.

Fraser said witnesses said they saw two juveniles running from the area after the fire started. Washoe Tribe Police officers searched for the juveniles but couldn’t find them.

No buildings were damaged, and no one was injured. “East Fork Fire reminds the public that during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, children can become bored, but with the weather turning warmer any fire in the brush and wildland areas of the county is dangerous,” Fraser said. “If this incident had happened in July or August the outcome could have been much worse.”

East Fork and Douglas County rescuers responded to a boat that was adrift in the middle of Topaz Lake after a small fire.

Rescuers were called to the South County reservoir at around 3:45 p.m. after callers reported the boat was smoking. The occupants extinguished the fire, but had to be towed to the Topaz Marina.